For example, a video texture technique that creates and presents looped moving images from video image raw material, is known. The video texture technique is a method that creates looped moving images by performing image processing so that a joining point of a repeating image does not stand out in a case in which video raw material of a few seconds is repeatedly reproduced.
This kind of looped moving image can present a video image as if it were a video image of infinite length by reproducing a terminal frame and an initial frame of a looped moving image seamlessly during reproduction with a video image on which one repeat's worth of images are stored. In addition, since it is sufficient to save only one repeat's worth of video image data, the looped moving image can save on storage quantity and transmission time.
For example, provided an image has periods such as a view of water flowing over a waterfall or flags flying in the wind, by repeatedly reproducing the image as a looped moving image, it is also possible for an observer to view the image without a sense of incongruity. Therefore, the looped moving image is suitable for applications such as viewing on digital photo frames, advertisement moving images for websites, and scenery moving images for personal computer screens.
As a method that automatically creates the looped moving images, for example, the video texture technique that is disclosed in NPL1, is known. In the video texture technique a reproduction interval for the repetition of the looped moving image and a transition frame image are calculated automatically.
More specifically, with respect to each frame image that is included in a video image, the degree of similarity of two arbitrary frame images is calculated. Further, a pair of frame images with the highest calculated degree of similarity is configured as an in point and an out point of the repeated reproduction, and a looped moving image is created so as to be repeatedly reproduced between the two points. At this time, in transition periods that are before and after the in point and the out point, video image crossfade processing is performed so that the joining point of the in point and the out point does not stand out.